Why visit Petal
Townapedia lists 6 museums and landmarks, 14 parks and trails, 27 places to eat and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Saenger Theater, William Carey University, African American Military History Museum and Eaton Elementary School.
August is the warmest month, with average highs of 92°F; January lows average 38°F.
Weather in Petal
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Petal
Petal is a city in Forrest County, Mississippi, along the Leaf River. It is part of the Hattiesburg, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 10,454 in the 2010 census, increasing to 11,010 in the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Petal, Mississippi (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
William Carey University
School · 4.4 mi
Private Christian liberal arts college in Mississippi
Museums and landmarks6
African American Military History Museum
Museum · National Register of Historic Places · 3.5 mi
United States historic place
305 East 6th Street, Hattiesburg
We-Fr 10:00-16:00; Sa 12:00-16:00
Eaton Elementary School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.2 mi
School building in Hattiesburg, Mississippi
1105 McInnis Avenue, Hattiesburg
Old Hattiesburg High School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.8 mi
High school in Mississippi, United States
Parks, trails and playgrounds14
Smokestack Park
Park · 3.5 mi
This smokestack has been here for many years. The city of Hattiesburg has constructed a park around it. Beyond the fact that it has been...
2 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes27
El Mariachi Loco
Restaurant · Mexican · 1.0 mi
Mexican Restaurant, Family Restaurant, Restaurant, Private Parties, Catering, Wedding Parties, Mexican Food, Full Bar, Taco Tuesday, Happy Hour
519 East Central Avenue, Petal
Sa-Th 11:00-21:30; Fr 11:00-22:00
Bianchi's Pizzeria
Restaurant · Pizza · 3.5 mi
128 East Front Street, Hattiesburg
Su-We 11:00-21:00; Th-Sa 11:00-23:00
Yamato Japanese Steakhouse
Restaurant · Japanese · 1.3 mi
223 East Central Avenue, Petal
Mo-Th 11:00-14:30, 16:00-21:30; Fr 11:00-14:30, 16:00-22:00; Sa-Su...
Depot Kitchen & Market
Restaurant · 3.4 mi
209 Buschman Street, Hattiesburg
Mo-Fr 07:00-16:00; Sa 08:00-16:00; Su 09:00-14:00
Nellie's Chicken and Daiquiris
Restaurant · Chicken, Daiquiri · 3.5 mi
213 East Front Street, Hattiesburg
Mo-We 11:00-22:00; Th-Sa 11:00-23:00; Su 11:00-18:00
Blu Jazz Cafe
Restaurant · 3.5 mi
103 East Front Street, Hattiesburg
Mo-We 10:00-14:00; Th-Sa 10:00-23:00
SouthBound Bagel & Coffee Shop
Restaurant · Breakfast, Lunch, Coffee Shop · 3.5 mi
217 East Front Street, Hattiesburg
Mo-Sa 07:00-13:30; Su 08:00-13:00
Sunny's Express Mart
Restaurant · Seafood · 2.1 mi
1199 MS 42, Petal
La Libertad #2
Restaurant · 3.6 mi
806 James Street, Hattiesburg
15 more on the map.
History
The first postmaster of Petal was Irving A. Polk. The post office was established in 1903 and was named after the daughter of a first settler. It is the only city in the U.S. with this name.
Petal incorporated on April 5, 1974. Petal was a community filled with farmers. This is slowly changing with new businesses coming into the city.
The International Checker Hall of Fame was located in Petal until September 29, 2007, when 20,000 square feet (1,900 m2) of the 35,000-square-foot (3,300 m2) building caught fire.
Petal was extensively damaged by an EF3 tornado on January 21, 2017.
From the History section of Petal, Mississippi on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship40
Bay Street Presbyterian Church (PCA)
Church · Presbyterian · 3.4 mi
204 Short Bay Street, Hattiesburg
Friendship Baptist Church
Church · Baptist · 3.3 mi
700 South Tipton Street, Hattiesburg
Morning Star Baptist Church
Church · Baptist · 3.1 mi
1406 Elizabeth Avenue, Hattiesburg
East Jerusalem Baptist Church
Church · Baptist · 3.2 mi
410 South Tipton Street, Hattiesburg
First Trinity Baptist Church
Church · Baptist · 3.3 mi
621 Mobile Street, Hattiesburg
Shopping4
Gas and EV charging3
Schools, colleges and libraries20
Earl Travillion Attendance Center
School · 5.2 mi
316 Travillion Drive, Hattiesburg
Healthcare3
Forrest County Health Department
Clinic and pharmacy · 3.0 mi
300 Klondyke Street, Hattiesburg
Rodgers Family Pharmacy
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.8 mi
130 West Central Avenue, Petal
Map of Petal
119 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 60°F | 38°F | 5.8 in |
| Feb | 64°F | 42°F | 4.9 in |
| Mar | 72°F | 48°F | 5.6 in |
| Apr | 78°F | 54°F | 5.4 in |
| May | 85°F | 62°F | 4.4 in |
| Jun | 90°F | 70°F | 5.8 in |
| Jul | 92°F | 72°F | 5.7 in |
| Aug | 92°F | 72°F | 4.8 in |
| Sep | 88°F | 67°F | 4.2 in |
| Oct | 80°F | 55°F | 3.7 in |
| Nov | 69°F | 44°F | 3.7 in |
| Dec | 62°F | 40°F | 5.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Hattiesburg Chain Muni Ap 74759 (5 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Forrest County has had 23 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.
- 2026-02-06: Severe Winter Storm (Winter Storm)
- 2026-01-24: Severe Winter Storm (Winter Storm)
- 2021-10-22: Hurricane Ida (Hurricane)
- 2021-08-28: Hurricane Ida (Hurricane)
- 2020-10-28: Hurricane Zeta (Hurricane)
- 2020-10-08: Hurricane Delta (Hurricane)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Hattiesburg Bobby L. Chain Municipal Airport (HBG) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 6 miles away.
- Glendale 5 mi west, about 7 min by car
- Hattiesburg 6 mi southwest, about 9 min by car
- Runnelstown 7 mi east, about 12 min by car
- Arnold Line 8 mi west, about 14 min by car
- West Hattiesburg 9 mi west, about 14 min by car
- Rawls Springs 9 mi west, about 15 min by car
- Oak Grove 11 mi west, about 18 min by car
- Ellisville 17 mi north, about 28 min by car
- Laurel 24 mi north, about 39 min by car
- Bogalusa 54 mi southwest, about 1 h 30 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- City of Petal, MS, Cayla.campPR, CC BY-SA 4.0
- AfricanAmericanMilitaryHistoryMuseum Exterior, Woodlot, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Eaton School, north facade, May 2021, Woodlot, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Old Hattiesburg High School East Elevation June 2020, Woodlot, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Front Corner of Trinity Episcopal Church in Hattiesburg, MS, The diva777, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Central Avenue at Main Street - panoramio, Aaron Manning, CC BY 3.0
- Greens Creek - panoramio, Aaron Manning, CC BY 3.0
- Dirt Cheap - panoramio, Aaron Manning, CC BY 3.0
- Scirpus Wainscot imported from iNaturalist photo 27092083 on 27 February 2022, (c) Lillie, some rights reserved (CC BY), CC BY 4.0
- Scutellaria racemosa, Lillie, CC BY 4.0
- Eaton Elementary School Hattiesburg MS, MisterVA, CC BY 4.0
- Hattiesburg, Mississippi Station, Paul Lowry, CC BY 2.0
- Roots of Rock And Roll - Mississippi Blues Trail Marker, Firecruise, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Old Building - Hattiesburg, MS June 2025, Paul Lowry, CC BY 2.0
- City Pawn Shop - Hattiesburg, MS June 2025, Paul Lowry, CC BY 2.0
- Volvo 240 Series - Hattiesburg MS June 2025, Paul Lowry, CC BY 2.0
- Ford Model AA - Hattiesburg MS June 2025, Paul Lowry, CC BY 2.0
- Yes, it's a Mockingbird - Hattiesburg, MS June 2025, Paul Lowry, CC BY 2.0
- 1975 Ford LTD Country Squire - Hattiesburg MS June 2025, Paul Lowry, CC BY 2.0
- Hattiesburg Coca-Cola Bottling Company, Paul Lowry, CC BY 2.0
- EastSixthStreetUSOBldg (Hattiesburg, MS), Woodlot, CC BY-SA 3.0
- S. H. Kress & Co. Building, Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Paul Lowry, CC BY 2.0
- National Bank of Commerce facade, Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Paul Lowry, CC BY 2.0
- Numbered boxes detail (Unsplash), Tim Evans tjevans, CC0
- Windows and doors of building (Unsplash), Tim Evans tjevans, CC0
- Ross Building, Hattiesburg, Miss. (8080231545), Mississippi Department of Archives and History, No restrictions
- Carter Building, Hattiesburg, Miss. (9294871494), Mississippi Department of Archives and History, No restrictions
- Greetings from Hattiesburg, Mississippi - Large Letter Postcard (10066901096), Steve Shook from Moscow, Idaho, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Flickr - DVIDSHUB - Memorial Service, DVIDSHUB, CC BY 2.0
- Flickr - DVIDSHUB - Tennessee National Guard Soldiers Train for Deployment, DVIDSHUB, CC BY 2.0
- Carter Building, Hattiesburg, Miss. (8080224977), Mississippi Department of Archives and History, No restrictions
- Flickr - DVIDSHUB - Tennessee National Guard Soldiers Train, DVIDSHUB, CC BY 2.0
- McLeodHouse (Hattiesburg, MS), Woodlot, CC BY-SA 3.0
- SacredHeartChurch (Hattiesburg, MS), Woodlot, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Hattiesburg Saenger Theatre, Dudemanfellabra, CC BY-SA 3.0
- CSA monument, Hattiesburg MS 2025, Paul Lowry, CC BY 2.0
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